McCoy first to sign

One down. Eight to go.

has become the first of the team’s draft picks to sign a multiyear contract, the club announced Tuesday. The tight end from the University of Southern California was selected in the sixth round of the April NFL draft.

The 6-foot-5, 259-pound McCoy played at USC for first-year Seahawks coach Pete Carroll, who considered him a steal of a selection with the 185th pick overall.

“I think our background with Anthony helps us,” Carroll said after selecting McCoy. “It helps us know him. We’ve recruited him since he was a junior in high school. … We’ve played a lot of games with Anthony, he’s done a lot of great things and he has made some mistakes along the way.

“But we know him well enough and we know that if we work together on this thing, he can be a tremendous, tremendous value to our football team – probably the best guy at the position that we got in the draft.”

McCoy caught 22 passes in each of the past two seasons for the Trojans, averaging 11.6 yards in 2008 and 20.8 yards last season – when he missed two games because of a sprained ankle.

McCoy has been working behind starter and free-agent addition in the minicamp and OTA practices. But he obviously has the size, is an underrated blocker and also has displayed soft hands and the ability to run good routes.

The club did not have to make a move to clear a roster spot for McCoy because running back LenDale White was waived last week.

The team’s other eight draft choices remain unsigned: left tackle and free safety , the first-round picks; wide receiver , a second-round selection; cornerback and defensive end , who were taken in the fourth round; strong safety , a fifth-round pick; and the seventh-round duo of defensive end and tight end .